History of the Chicago Coin Club

Chicago Numismatic Society

The Chicago Coin Club was born in 1919, although its
ancestry traces back much further. Late in 1903, six men met
over dinner at the Union League Club of Chicago and decided
that it was time to form a local numismatic group. They
discussed the scope and purpose of their infant society and each
pledged to bring one new member when they met again.

The report from that January 16, 1904 meeting does not
indicate how many were present, but enough were there to give
this group the courage to call themselves the Chicago
Numismatic Society. Five of the six men present at the earlier
dinner meeting were elected as officers: President William G.
Jerrems, Jr., Vice-President William F. Dunham, Secretary and
Librarian Ben G. Green, Treasurer Enos C. Verkler and Censor
Michael P. Carey. The sixth member, Walter McDonald,
remained without office. Mr. Jerrems exhibited a number of silver
and bronze Greek coins and Mr. Dunham exhibited hard times
tokens with a discussion of our national, political and financial
development. Thus, they began a legacy of numismatic education
that we enjoy and still practice eighty-one years later.

The Chicago Numismatic Society prospered for twelve years
and in that time, attracted many numismatic notables, Virgil M.
Brand, Frank Duffield, Dr. George F. Heath and well-known
coin dealers B. Max Mehl of Fort Worth, Texas, Lyman Low of
New York, S. Hudson Chapman of Philadelphia and Jacob Hirsh
of Munich, Germany honored the Society's rolls.

Anniversary Medal

The Society issued a number of medals but perhaps its most
important was the series of twelve Anniversary or Membership
medals. These 2" medals were struck in bronze and the first six
were issued in 1909 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the
Society. The obverse shows the reverse of the Athenian
tetradrachm, the Society's seal which was adopted at the April 7,
1905 meeting. Six different but similar reverse designs were
employed. The legend on the one commonly called the Founders
Medal reads "TO ORIGINAL MEMBERS THE HONORED
FOUNDERS OF THE SOCIETY," while the legend on the
remaining five read identically "TO MEMBERS WHO HONORED
THE SOCIETY BY JOINING ITS RANKS IN...". At this point
they differ. In the exergue appears "1904 FIRST YEAR," "1905
SECOND YEAR," through "1908 FIFTH YEAR." In this series,
the legends are surrounded by a band of stars, each symbolizing
a member who joined in the respective year. In the words of
then-Secretary Ben Green, "Each member has finally become a
star."

The practice of issuing this medal continued each year until
the last of the series was issued in 1914. The number of stars
which appears on each year's medal is not an exact indication as
to how many were struck because several are known which
have stamped on their edges "NOT ISSUED TO A MEMBER."
The number of stars on each year's medal is as follows:

1904

4

1908

40

1912

19

1905

26

1909

25

1913

13

1906

38

1910

23

1914

4

1907

22

1911

43

Octagonal Medal

In addition to honoring the members of the Society, medals
were also issued to honor events. The first recorded medal was
struck to commemorate the new rooms to be occupied by the
Society in the Masonic Temple. President Dunham issued the
1-3/8" octagonal brass medal on May 3, 1907. Only two were
issued in silver and were presented to Chester Dunham and Ben
Green for reading papers before the membership that evening.
The obverse-reverse axis varies from medal to medal which
indicates they were hand struck.

Collectors Club Medal

The Society issued one medal whose origin shall perhaps
remain an enigma. It is believed that it also was issued by William
Dunham at or about the same time as the octagonal piece. Every
available specimen of this 1-1/4" brass medal shows weakly
struck legends with three stars at the top and three stars in the
exergue on both sides. The obverse reads "CHICAGO
NUMISMATIC SOCIETY," and the reverse "CHICAGO
COLLECTORS CLUB."

50th Meeting Medal

During Virgil M. Brand's tenure as president, the Society
held its 50th meeting. To commemorate the event, copper
medals of 1-3/8" were struck and distributed to members. J.
Henri Ripstra engraved the dies but his initials do not appear. He
was, however, presented with one of the silver pieces in
appreciation of his work.

100th Meeting Medal

The 100th meeting of the Society was celebrated with a
dinner at the Palmer House. Each member present received a 30
mm bronze medal inscribed with "ONE HUNDRETH
MEETING, MAY 3, 1912."

Nashville Medal

The Chicago Numismatic Society also created two art
medals. The first of these was the Nashville medal, commissioned
to commemorate the gunboat's visit to Chicago Harbor. The
obverse (scanned from the medal - then altered)obverse (scanned from a photo of the same medal)
of the 1-1/4" x 3" rectangular medal shows the Nashville
at anchor. Struck in bronze and silver, this medal was
distributed to the members in a velvet lined presentation box at
the January 7, 1910 meeting. Extra copies of the bronze were
sold for 75 cents each and $2.50 each was charged for the silver.
In addition, one of the silver medals was presented to the
Commander of the Nashville. Although rarely seen or offered for sale
seventy-six years later, it was reported that 500 of these were
struck in bronze and 100 frosted pieces were struck in silver. At
the April 1, 1910 meeting, Virgil Brand proposed that, if the dies
were cancelled, he would purchase 50 silver and 100 bronze
pieces. Many were then sold by him; however, a number of the
silver medals remained a part of his collection, to be sold at
auction in June, 1984.
The reverse (scanned from the medal - then altered).The reverse (scanned from a photo of the same medal).

Aviation Medal

The second art medal was in tribute to the achievement of
the ancient dream - aviation. In the early part of this century,
Chicago was fast becoming a notable center of aviation. So, it
was not surprising, at the September, 1910, meeting of the
Chicago Numismatic Society, when it was decided to issue a
medal dedicated to the progress of aviation in that year. It was
requested that designs be submitted for approval; the winning
design was by Carl Schreiber. The
obverse
of Mr. Schreiber's
winning design depicted a youth with wings affixed to his
outstretched arms and in the background, four different
methods of manned flight: a hot air balloon, a dirigible, and two
early-model airplanes.
The reverse.

Whitehead, Hoag and Co. struck the bronze medals and
their name appears on the lower edge. These were sold for $2
each and the number was limited to 200 pieces. The silver
medals were struck shortly thereafter and sold for $3.50 on prior
subscription. No issuing mark appears on these medals but the
possibility exists that they were struck at the U.S. Mint. The
original motion in September, 1910 called for this and in
October, 1911, the Society received correspondence from George E.
Roberts, Director of the Mint, stating that an Aviation Medal had
been presented to the Wright brothers by an Act of Congress.

A.N.A. Branch No. 1

Until 1912 the Chicago Numismatic Society was the only
forum for coin collectors in the city, the state and perhaps even
the Midwest. A second group was added with the formation of
the American Numismatic Association Branch No. 1. This was
the result of a change in the A.N.A. constitution brought forth at
the 1912 Rochester, New York convention, which allowed for
the formation of branch clubs. Ben Green, secretary of the Society
and ever alert to promote the Chicago numismatic community,
was the first at that convention to file an application for a
charter, thereby entitling the Chicago group the honor of receiving
number 1.

Branch No. 1's first meeting was held November 12, 1913 in
the rooms of the Chicago Numismatic Society. The two groups
were never officially affiliated though their membership
overlapped considerably. Ben Green was elected first president
of the Branch which met the first Tuesday of every month. It
was to hold only fourteen meetings according to its reports in
The Numismatist.

Medallic Membership Card

The only medallic creations issued by Branch No. 1 were its
membership cards. These 2" x 3/4" bronze medals were donated
by Theophile Leon in 1913 and by Judson Brenner the following
year. The three line legend on the obverse reads "CHICAGO
BRANCH NO. 1, AMERICAN NUMISMATIC ASSOCIATION,
MEMBERSHIP CARD." A beaded border surrounds the edge.
The reverse inscription appears in two lines and reads
"RECEIPT FOR DUES 1913 (or 1914) / ISSUED TO MEMBER
NO.________". The edge is surrounded by a decorative border.

The Decline

On January 17, 1914 Ben G. Green died. His untimely death
at age 53 from typhoid pneumonia was a shock to both groups
and to the national numismatic community. The deep personal
loss can be sensed in the tributes and resolutions that flowed
in from across the nation. The light of Mr. Green's candle was
snuffed out, and so too the flames began to flicker at both
numismatic groups.

Branch No. 1 faded quickly. Mr. Green had been the group's
only president to that point. The last meeting report received by
The Numismatist was of its March 17 meeting, three months after
Green's death. Shortly thereafter, Branch No. 1 ceased to
function, but would return in 1917.

The decline of the Chicago Numismatic Society was not as
rapid, but proved to be permanent. Mr. Green had faithfully
served as the Society's secretary from its birth until the time of
his death. With his passing the reports began to reflect a lack of
spirit within the group. The July 3 meeting of that year shows
that it was called to order and immediately adjourned to meet
August 7. The results of the August meeting, and for that matter,
the September and October meetings, are lost to us. The Society
became negligent after many years of sending its meeting reports
to The Numismatist. Several more meetings were held and the
last published report was its 136th meeting, May 7, 1915. With
that the Chicago Numismatic Society ended a brilliant twelve
year era of Chicago numismatics.

Chicago Numismatic Society Officers

Presidents

William G. Jerrems, Jr.

1904

Harry F. Williams

1910-11

William F. Dunham

1905

F. Elmo Simpson

1912-13

George W. Tracy

1906

John R. Kelly

1914

William F. Dunham

1907

Joseph B. Holmes

1915

Virgil M. Brand

1908-09

Secretaries

Ben G. Green

1904-14

Michael P. Carey

1914-15

Branch No. 1 Revives

For nearly two years there was no organized numismatic
group in Chicago. Then on February 7, 1917 A.N.A. Branch No.
1 was revived by some of its previous members. Its first meeting
was held at 143 North Dearborn, and within a short time it had
secured regular meeting quarters at Parlor M in the Sherman
House. Soon, meetings were held the first Friday of every month
and the group began to grow and prosper.

The experience with the predecessor clubs, no doubt,
strengthened their resolve to build a solid working numismatic
organization. William Dunham at the November 1918 meeting,
outlined a policy that he believed the group should follow. Two
months later the members convened as a committee of the whole
and discussed its future policies. It was decided to reorganize
and not limit membership to A.N.A. members, as stated in the
charter. A committee of six, Charles N. Hinckley, Alden Scott
Boyer, R. Edward Davis, Michael P. Carey, Theophile E. Leon
and John T. Kelly were appointed to draw up a new constitution
and by-laws for what would thereafter be called the Chicago
Coin Club.

A.N.A. Branch No. 1 Officers 1917-1919

Presidents

Secretaries

Ben G. Green

1913-14

Marie A Naerup

1913-14

R. Edward Davis

1914

R. Edward Davis

1917-19

Theophile E. Leon

1917

John T. Kelly

1918

Charles N. Hinckley

1919

Chicago Coin Club

On Friday, February 14, 1919 the first official meeting of the
Chicago Coin Club was called to order. The elected officers from
Branch No. 1, President Hinckley, Vice-President Boyer and
Secretary Davis were reelected as the officers of the new club.
There were eight exhibits that evening and Mr. Leon read a
paper titled "The Early History of Castorland." Surely, the
fifteen people in attendance that evening could not have imagined
that sixty-four years later, the minutes of that meeting would be
viewed as such a milestone.

Charter members were those who joined at one of the first
two meetings. At the March 5 meeting, their membership
numbers were assigned by drawing lots.

Charter Members

1.

R. Edward Davis

18.

Ernest Jones

2.

Fred W. Becker

19.

Sigmund Krausz

3.

Fred Michael

20.

John T. Kelly

4.

Louis DeCou

21.

William Bartholemay, Jr.

5.

George H. Blake

22.

Arthur Miller

6.

A. Atlas Leve

23.

Albert F. Madlener

7.

Alden Scott Boyer

24.

Lawrence P. Josephson

8.

Swan Nelson

25.

Michael P. Carey

9.

J. Henri Ripstra

26.

Judson Brenner

10.

Albert W. Morris

27.

Harry T. Wilson

11.

Marie A. Naerup

28.

Anna M. Ripstra

12.

Harry F. Williams

29.

J.G.M. Luttenberger

13.

Theophile E. Leon

30.

Bert Baumann

14.

S. Archie Hamilton

31.

George F. Brown

15.

Charles N. Hinckley

32.

B. Max Mehl

16.

Dr. Alexander M. Rachus

33.

Elmer J. Lawless

17.

William F. Dunham

J. Henri Ripstra designed the Club emblem, used until 1939.
It showed an open-faced "Y" symbolizing the Chicago River
with it's North and South Branches with the letter "C" appearing
to the left, right and above, all within a circle. Around the
upper edge appeared "CHICAGO COIN," and in the exergue
"CLUB," with the number "19" on each side.

Enthusiasm ran very high that first year. An anonymous
donor gave a 1908 gold proof set as Reward of Merit prizes, to be
based on attendance, original contributions, exhibits and recruitment
of new members. Mr. Dunham also coined a one-mill piece
and distributed one to each member who joined that year. A
2-1/4" x4" multi-colored membership card complete with
vignettes and elaborate borders was issued. So impressive was
the card, that The Numismatist could only describe it as "nifty."

In those early years, the A.N.A. membership cast votes for
the site of the national convention. During its first year, the
Chicago Coin Club courted the 1920 convention through an open
letter to all A.N.A. members and full page ad in The Numismatist.
Coming from a city not known for political naivete, its campaign
was successful.

The decade was coming to a close. With the signing of the
Armistice ending the Great War and the turbulent teens behind
them, the members of the Chicago Coin Club must have looked
to the coming decade with renewed hope.

The 1920's

By 1920 most of the members previously with the Chicago
Numismatic Society and the original Branch No. 1 had joined the
newly-formed Chicago Coin Club. Throughout this decade the
Club met primarily at three locations: 940 N. Clark Street, at the
office of member Lawrence P. Josephson, in room 1406 of the
Hartford Building and at the Boyer Laboratory, 2700 South
Wabash, in the perfume works of member and then-President
Alden Scott Boyer.

The Club experienced strong growth during these years. The
first year average attendance was approximately 16 per meeting.
Five years later the figure had climbed to 22, but by 1929, it had
shot up to 47 per meeting.

Club Bulletin

At the February 4, 1920 meeting, there appears the first
mention of a Club Bulletin. It was issued monthly throughout
most of that year and a permanent committee was appointed to
take responsibility for its publication. No copies of these early
Bulletins are in the Club archives, but some of the featured
articles included: "Medals and Tokens Issued by the Coin Clubs of
Chicago," and lists of $2.50, $3.00 and $10.00 gold piece
varieties and their auction records.

1920 A.N.A. Convention

In the spring and summer of 1920, the Club was busy
preparing to host the national convention. General Chairman
Leon was overseeing the entertainment and supervising the
plans for exhibits and programs at the Art Institute. The
headquarters for the convention was the Hotel Sherman, with single
occupancy room rates $2.50 - $3.00 per night without bath and
$3.50 - $6.00 with private bath.

Attendance that year was 79. The minutes of the convention
show that little time was spent on education, except for the 22
exhibits, many of which were laid out by Chicago Coin Club
members. Most of the time was spent discussing A.N.A.
business or enjoying the entertainment the city had to offer. The
social side of the convention was very important and much
numismatic information was probably exchanged during the
motor car tour of the parks and lakefront, plus the tour of the
Union Stockyards. A trip to the Municipal Pier (now called Navy
Pier) was cancelled due to unexpected cool weather. In its place,
the ladies chose to visit a theater and the men were escorted by
Mr. Leon to pay a visit on Virgil Brand at his home above the
Brand Brewery at 2530 North Clyborn. Mr. Brand happily
received this unexpected group of 25 and showed them his latest
acquisitions.

Special Programs

In 1922 the members of the Chicago Coin Club got a special
treat in the form of a series of talks by member William
Dunham, who had returned from a coin collecting trip around
the world. Many were fascinated at the January, February and
March meetings as he gave an account of his collecting
experiences in New York, Paris, Rome, Palestine, Egypt, Turkey,
India, Indo-China and China. At the end of the January program,
he presented each member with a piece of rare Chinese Knife
Money from the Ming Dynasty and 100-cash coin.

Another program the members enjoyed was in 1926 when a
large collection of medals and historical documents from the
Chicago Historical Society were on exhibit at a meeting. No
details were given, but the record shows that much discussion
ensued.

Virgil M. Brand Passes Away

On June 20, 1926 the members of the Chicago Coin Club
were saddened to hear of the death of Virgil M. Brand. Mr.
Brand had been quite active in the Chicago Numismatic Society
and had joined the Chicago Coin Club in its first year, becoming
member number 55. An avid collector for fifty-one years, Mr.
Brand had amassed the world's largest privately owned
collection, a record which still stands today. It was because of Mr.
Brand's international reputation that so many prominent
American and European coin dealers often journeyed to Chicago
and would appear in his company at a number of Club meetings.
Many became members and attended meetings throughout the
next decade as they acted as advisors to his estate.

100th Meeting Medal

The 100th meeting of the Club was celebrated in the summer
of 1927. A group of fifty had dinner at the Cafe Marie and
proceeded to 2700 South Wabash for the meeting. To mark the
occasion, a 30 mm bronze medal was issued. The obverse shows the
Club seal that was adopted in 1919. The reverse has the four line
legend "ONE HUNDRETH MEETING, JUNE 1, 1927."

1929 A.N.A. Convention

On August 24-29, 1929, the Chicago Coin Club again hosted
the national convention. The Congress Hotel at Michigan
Avenue and Congress Street was the convention site. The
Numismatist tells of "exceedingly commodious" guest rooms
with single occupancy at $3 per day without bath and $4 and up
with bath. The official attendance of 134 broke all convention
records as did the number of exhibits. The attendance of the
public also broke records and was described as "an almost
constant stream of people passing before the cases," with many
expressing genuine interest and asking pertinent questions. The
eminent numismatist, Club member and dealer M.H. Bolender
of Orangeville, Illinois conducted an auction of nearly 700 lots.
Interest was very keen, competition heavy on every lot and the
bidders were described as a "hungry bunch."

J. Henri Ripstra, General Chairman, lined up a number of
entertainment features. A bus ride to Fort Sheridan and a return
trip via Ravinia and the Armour, Swift and Cutten estates was
enjoyed by many out-of-towners. A special trip was also made to
the studio of Laredo Taft at 6016 Ellis Avenue. Noted sculptor
Mr. Taft spoke to the group during a tour of the rooms of his
studio.

The 1930's

The Club's meeting site in 1930 was the Sherman Hotel, but
within a few months, the site was moved to the Atlantic Hotel.
There the Club remained for eight years until 1938, when the
site was changed to the Great Northern Hotel. After one year,
the members moved again, this time to the Skyline Athletic
Club.

The 1930's - the era of the Great Depression - must surely
have effected collector's pocketbooks, but did little to dampen
their enthusiasm for the hobby. Indeed, meeting attendance
climbed steadily during those years and soared as the end of the
decade neared. In 1930, average attendance was 47. Five years
later it had climbed to 68 and peaked in 1938 with an average
attendance of 79 per meeting.

Hobby-Collectors Show

Perhaps one of the primary reasons behind the Club's
explosive growth was its participation in the Hobby-Collectors
Show in 1933 and '34. The four day show at the Sherman Hotel
had 150 exhibitors, of which the Chicago Coin Club was one.
The Club booth was huge by today's standards. Past President
Boyer reported he sent over eleven department store sized
display cases as well as his window decorator to set up the
display. Members loaned their coins for the exhibit and in 1934
the Club conducted its regular meeting at the show. As a result
of the show, attendance at the Club meetings boomed and in late
1934 the Club purchased identification badges.

The second year of the hobby show was even more popular
and a separate section of the show was set aside for young
people. Before the show was over, Club member Rollo E. Gilmore
organized the Chicago junior Coin Club No. 1. There is no
evidence to suggest that this club was ever officially connected
with the Chicago Coin Club. It was, however, supported by
several Club members and conducted meetings for approximately
four months, after which no further reports were published.

Ladies Night

A novel idea was instituted by the Chicago Coin Club in May
1934. With attendance rapidly growing, a large number of wives
had become Associate Members and were attending the
meetings regularly. To make them feel welcome, the Club began
a once-a-year event know as Ladies Night. On this evening, the
spouses took over the meeting and provided entertainment,
oftentimes humorous. Ladies Night would be held for many
years to come and would incorporate itself into the Chicago Coin
Club. The position of second vice-president was created in 1936
as a post to be filled by one of the ladies whose main
responsibilities were to organize this event.

Annual Banquets

During this decade the Club began to hold Annual Banquets.
Most were held separate from the business meetings and were
not counted as official meetings. The records are not complete,
therefore it is not certain if one was held every year. The first
was held in conjunction with Ladies Night and an afternoon of
exhibiting in May, 1934. The next year a dinner was held to
celebrate the 200th meeting and, in May, 1937, the Club held a
banquet at the Atlantic Hotel which was also attended by
approximately forty members of the Milwaukee Numismatic
Society. The Atlantic Hotel served again as the site of the May,
1938 banquet which was enjoyed by seventy-one members.

Century of Progress / 1933 A.N.A. Convention

Chicago played host to the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition
which was planned and directed by Club member Major
Lenox R. Lohr. Not only could members see futuristic marvels,
but the Exposition was an exonumia bonanza. Once again the
Congress Hotel served as the site for the national A.N.A. convention.
Even with the Exposition, attendance was below
pre-depression years.

Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine

In 1935 Club member Lee F. Hewitt began publishing the
monthly Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine in response to the
demand for greater numismatic information. With encouragement
from Club members, Mr. Hewitt built this journal into a premier
publication, which it remained until its sale in 1968 to Amos
Press. Always aware of the latest numismatic trends, Mr. Hewitt
attended nearly every meeting and often shared much valuable
information.

Trip to Milwaukee

Thirty-four members of the Chicago Coin Club and their
guests took an excursion on January 29, 1937, to attend a
meeting of the Milwaukee Numismatic Society, a new group
barely two years old. The March 1937 Bulletin reports that the
jolly group set out in a chartered car of the North Shore Railroad.
Upon arrival they were met by members of the Milwaukee
group and taken to their new meeting hall. Twelve of the
Chicago members gave short talks on the coins they brought
with them for the evening's exhibits. The return trip to Chicago
on the midnight train was uneventful, except for a popcorn fight
instigated by Secretary M. Vernon Sheldon. The next Bulletin, in
June 1937 reports that the return trip was not as uneventful as
previously reported. Under a heading titled "Gossip," it was
reported that two couples became engaged on the road home.
Although the report proved to be a joke directed at two young
men who had taken their girlfriends on the trip, it illustrates the
sociable nature of the Club in those days.

C.S.N.S. is Founded

As the end of the decade drew near, the Club began to reach
out beyond Chicago. Perhaps the members' experiences with
numismatic fellowship at the 1920, '29 and '33 national conventions
whetted their appetites for more experiences of this nature.
The appeal of having an annual regional show in the Midwest
was very strong and a number of Club members played integral
roles in bringing about the formation of the Central States
Numismatic Society (C.S.N.S.) and its first conference. It was
hosted by the Chicago Coin Club at the Congress Hotel, April 22 - 23,
1939, with J. Henri Ripstra serving as Honorary Chairman.
Since then a number of Chicago Coin Club members have served
as its presidents, vice-presidents, secretaries and governors. The
1969 Bulletin gives the title "Father of Central States Numismatic
Society," to three Club members: Lee F. Hewitt, Ignatius T.
Kopicki and M. Vernon Sheldon.

Incorporation and New Club Seal

The Chicago Coin Club incorporated as a non-profit
organization on January 19, 1938 and adopted a new seal to
reflect this change. This is the seal in use today. It was designed
by member William G. Rayson and was accepted at the
February 1, 1939 meeting. It shows the vertically interlocking
initials of the Club, "CCC;" appearing above is "ORGANIZED
1919" and below "INCORPORATED 1938." Beneath are two
laurel branches. Surrounding this and around the top edge is
"CHICAGO COIN CLUB." In the exergue is the Latin motto
"DOCENDO DISCIMUS" (We Learn By Teaching).

The 1940's

During the 1940's, the Chicago Coin Club meetings were at
nine different sites. In 1940 and '41, they were at the Skyline
Athletic Club. After a brief stay in the Fine Arts Building, 410
South Michigan Avenue, they were moved to the La Salle Hotel
for four years. From June 1946 until December 1948, the
meeting site changed four times. Finally, in January 1949, a
meeting room was secured on the seventh floor at the Western
Society of Engineers Building, 86 East Randolph.

Peak attendance was in 1940 and '41 with an average of 80
per meeting. There was a dramatic decrease during the first year
of World War II, with the average dropping to 57 per meeting.
This did not affect the remainder of the decade as 1943 through
'49 showed the usual attendance varying between 66 and 73.

Ladies Night

Ladies Night remained a popular event throughout the
1940's. The minutes show that the ladies entertained the Club by
singing songs, conducting numismatic quizzes or spelling bees,
exhibiting coins from their own collections and, in one instance,
showing baby pictures of their husbands and asking members to
identify them. The November, 1946 evening took a different
twist and required much more planning. The ladies conducted a
fashion show. The theme was how fashions were not to be worn
and their husbands were the models. The Club archives is in
possession of and 8" x 10" photo of the event showing fifteen of
the "models" in various ensembles, most notable being the
headgear.

Annual Banquet

During the 1940's the Club held a number of banquets. In
1947, the guest speaker was Reverend E. Heithaus of Marquette
University whose talk was on the history and development of
ancient coinage. The 1949 banquet was an all-day affair at the
LaSalle Hotel. There were exhibits in display cases and the
proceedings were open to the public. The banquet entertainment
that evening was produced, as it was the previous year, by radio
commentator and member Halloween Martin Kurtzeborn. In
each case she had written and arranged a number of amusing
skits in which the cast was composed of various Club members.
The audience enjoyed a number of these acts, including take-offs
on popular radio shows of the time, songs lip-synched and two
members dressed in a horse costume.

Club Bulletin

The Club revived the idea of a Bulletin in March, 1936, this
time as a quarterly. Issues of this first year covered business
aspects of the organization, but it was expanded in 1937 to carry
numismatic articles written by members. It remained a quarterly
publication until March, 1942. At that point, the switch was
made to annual issues which were published in 1943, '44, '47
and '49. The Bulletins of these years featured numismatic
articles, such as: "Civil War Cards of Illinois," "The Quest is the
Thing," by R.S. Yeoman, and "Once in a Lifetime: Hermit's
Gold Coins Sold for $30,000." Occasionally the Club's constitution
and by-laws, a list of books in the Club library and
obituaries were also published. Another common feature in the
Bulletins of these years was a list of all dues-paying members
with their home addresses and collecting specialty. Forty years
later we look back upon this innocent era and are astonished at
the practice.

The Chatter

The first issue of the Chatter appeared in February, 1949 as a
single sided mimeographed sheet. There were no Club minutes
presented in those early issues. It was primarily a means of keeping
in touch with personal developments among the members.
The upcoming meeting program was also listed with
good-natured chiding for a healthy turnout.

Life Membership in the A.N.A.

A change in the A.N.A. constitution was made at the 1940
Detroit convention which allowed clubs to become life
members. M. Vernon Sheldon, Club member and A.N.A.
General Secretary, generously offered the Club a life membership
with his compliments. At the March 1942 meeting, J. Henri
Ripstra, acting in his capacity as an A.N.A. governor and past
A.N.A. president, presented the members with their life
membership certificate No. 60. On the same evening, Mr.
Sheldon announced that the Chicago Coin Club was the first
corporate life membership granted. This certificate is in the
archives along with a second certificate received in 1973, when the
membership number was changed to No. 7.

The 1969 Bulletin reported that the Chicago Coin Club also
has the distinction of being the oldest A.N.A. member club, with
an uninterrupted record of annual dues payments back to 1912.
A.N.A. Historian Jack W. Ogilvie reported that Branch No. 1
dues were paid continuously, even during the inactive period of
1914-16.

The War Years

The City of Chicago joined the nation in a concerted war
effort following the attack on Pearl Harbor. So too, the Chicago
Coin Club did its part. The members unanimously voted to
purchase their first $ 100 defense bond on March 4, 1942, and before
the war's end, it would purchase at least two more. It also made
generous donations to the Red Cross. In a gesture to keep up the
spirits of those members in the armed services, their Club dues
were suspended. As a further tribute, C. Lou Synder offered to
decorate his recently donated bulletin board with a cast of the
names of "our members who will be in service." The 42" x42"
bulletin board donated at the January meeting was adorned by a
4" circular insignia of the Club in solid bronze and plated in 24
karat gold. Throughout these years announcements were made
at the Club meetings as to which members were being inducted
and in some cases, where they expected to be stationed.
Occasionally, men home on furlough would attend a meeting.

Correspondence in the archives from those years reveal
many letters written to the Club from its "fighting boys." Nearly
every one has a numismatic reference. One member wrote from
California saying he can get as many "S" mint mark coins as he
wants and asks for a list of the member's needs. Another wrote
that he was guarding a German prisoner of war camp made up of
Rommel's North African troops. He reported with disappointment
that the only coins the prisoners brought in with them from
Africa were nothing more than "common stuff." The excitement
in the letter picked up, however, when he told that within a few
days the prisoners would be issued scrip and he was expecting
their pockets to be bulging with it. Never stating that he intended
to add some to his collection, he wrote that it was strictly
forbidden to trade with the prisoners. This he did either to keep the
army censors off his trail or to ward off an avalanche of orders
from members.

1942 Loving Cup

At the Cincinnati A.N.A. convention of 1942, the Club was
awarded a silver plated loving cup in recognition of having the
highest convention attendance of any club. The cup with its
decorative wooden stand is in the Club's archives. It stands 6"
tall and the seven line inscription reads "A.N.A.
CONVENTION, CINCINNATI, OHIO, AUGUST 22 - 27,1942,
ATTENDANCE FIRST PRIZE."

1943 A.N.A. Convention

In 1943, the A.N.A. convention was in Chicago. Due to
wartime conditions, it was streamlined to business only. The Chicago
Coin Club planned the only social event of the convention by
moving its regular meeting to Saturday evening, September 13,
and sponsoring a dinner at the La Salle Hotel. The 124 in attendance
were later joined by an additional 34 for the Club's
business meeting and auction. Twenty-one Club members
presented exhibits and C. Lou Synder generously donated ten
door prizes consisting of a war bond, proof sets, gold dollars and
silver bars.

25th Anniversary Medal / 1944 A.N.A. Convention

The 25th anniversary year of the Chicago Coin Club coincided
with the 1944 A.N.A. convention which was again held in
Chicago. Although it was not as streamlined as the preceding
year, the war was still on and the report shows an absence of
festivities which were usually associated with Chicago
conventions. Once again, the Club sponsored the banquet at the La Salle
Hotel for 271 convention goers in honor of its 25th anniversary.

Although fearful in 1943 that wartime restrictions would not
allow it, the Club was able to strike a silver anniversary medal to
commemorate the occasion. Seven designs were displayed at the
May 1944 meeting and the committee chose the one submitted
by A. Smith of Cincinnati, Ohio. The 1-1/2" silver medals show a
bust of Abraham Lincoln. The medals were struck by the Osborn
Register Company of Cincinnati and were made available at the
1944 convention. They proved to be quite popular and sales to
non-members had to be curtailed so as not to short the Club
members. The Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine of January 14,
1945 reported that the original issue was 267 pieces. The Club
ordered an additional 50 struck, but the treasurer's report shows
that only 48 arrived, placing the total number of medals issued at
315 pieces.

Special Programs

The members of the Club had a unique educational
experience by accepting an invitation from Major Lenox Lohr,
Club member and president of the Museum of Science and
Industry to hold a meeting at the museum. Ninety-six members
and guests assembled at the museum on the evening of
September 3, 1947 to hear Major Lohr's talk on hobbies and
man's instinct for collecting. The Major had thirty collecting
hobbies, among them pattern coins. He spoke at length of his
search for new specimens, research work and the pleasure and
satisfaction derived from accomplishment. At the conclusion of
this talk, he showed four cases of pattern coins, which was only
part of his collection.

That same evening, H. A. Seaby of London, England was a
guest. In a brief address to the membership, he stated he could
not help but comment on the large attendence. In addition to
answering a number of questions, Mr. Seaby told how English
collectors collect by type rather than by date and mint mark.
After watching a motion picture titled "The Story of Money" the
members viewed Major Lohr's antique car collection in the
exhibition hall.

Three months later, member J. V. McDermott brought to a
meeting a group of extremely rare coins. His exhibit consisted of
a 1913 Liberty Head nickel (only five in existence), an 1877-CC
20 cent piece (only twelve known), an 1836 pattern Liberty Cap
gold dollar with rays, a 1915 Lincoln cent struck on a gold planchet,
an uncirculated 1892 micro "O" half dollar and a 1652 Pine
Tree shilling. To make this exhibit even more amazing to today's
readers, the Club minutes show that when his exhibit was called,
Mr. McDermott was absent from the room and another member
described the items.

Members were fascinated and more than one dreamed of
1001 Arabian Nights after the March 1949 meeting. Member F.
K. Saab had just returned after spending several months in his
native Egypt and he gave a talk of his experiences and his
meeting with His Majesty, King Farouk I.

The 1950's

In June 1950 the Chicago Coin Club began to meet in the
Lincoln Room of the La Salle Hotel on the second Wednesday of the
month. This changed the long-standing practice of meeting on
the first Tuesday. The Club moved in January 1957 to the
Congress Hotel. For a brief time in late 1951, the Club investigated
the possibility of obtaining permanent quarters to conduct
meetings, and to house its library and collection. The idea was
not considered feasible and was dropped. Average attendance
was slightly lower then in the 1940's but remained steady with
an average of 70 per meeting.

Club Bulletin

The Club issued six annual Bulletins during this decade. Nearly
all were thinner volumes than in previous years with fewer
numismatic articles. The main feature continued to be the
membership list, with home addresses and collecting specialty.
Also contained were obituaries and notable events of the
previous year. The years of issue were 1950-53, '55 and '57.

Ladies Night

Ladies Night was still going strong in the early 1950's. The
members continued to enjoy original skits, exhibits from the ladies's
own collections and quizzes on female portraits on coins. In one
instance, a gold coin was donated by the "ladies coin purse" and
given as a door prize. In 1955 the second
vice-presidency was not filled by one of the ladies and the planned
activities enjoyed by many since 1934 faded quickly. Before the
decade ended, the only organized program was in December
when the ladies would each bring a $1 grab bag gift. This
practice continued into the early 1970's and was expanded to include
all members.

400th Meeting Counterstamped Peso

The 400th meeting of the Chicago Coin Club was called to
order on May 14, 1952 in the Lincoln Room of the La Salle Hotel
with 87 members and guests present. The program for the evening
featured a panel of experts composed of Earl Barger, Ignatius
Kopicki, M. Vernon Sheldon, Robert L. McBrien and Harry X
Boosel. Acting as moderator, Lee F. Hewitt directed to them a
series of numismatic questions. Only four of the seven questions
were answered correctly but the record doesn't state whether
this was because they were difficult or whether the panel of five
was not quite as knowledgeable as they thought.

A 1944 Mexican one peso piece was counterstamped to
commemorate the event. According to then-president Harry X
Boosel, several delays were encountered and the unstruck pesos
were delivered to the engraving firm of Meyer and Wenthe, Inc.
at 10:30 A.M., the morning of the meeting. The firm already had
its production planned for the day, but managed to counterstrike
them after 5 P.M., in time to be delivered to the meeting. Two
hundred pesos were counterstruck and sold for $1 each. The
circular 5/8" counterstamp on the obverse reads "CHICAGO COIN
CLUB 400TH MEETING, MAY 14,1952."

Annual Banquets and Coin Shows

Twice in this decade, the Club hosted banquets to honor
select members. The first was on October 10, 1951 and honored
the nine past presidents in attendance. A photo in the archives
shows then-president Boosel with Messrs. Barger, Rayson,
Ripstra, Ostrander, Boyer, McBrien, Kopicki, Pennington and
Lamb. Each of the honorees gave a brief talk on his collecting
experiences, but everyone particularly enjoyed Alden Scott
Boyer's speech on what he collected and how, as his many
hobbies grew, a warehouse was used to store these items.

The second special banquet held October 30, 1954 honored
the Club's seven surviving Charter Members. This was held in
conjunction with a Club-sponsored coin show. The highlight of
the evening, attended by 136 members and friends, was the
presentation of engraved membership cards to the original
members. The 2" x3-1/4" cards had a background of blue
enamel with the Club emblem prominent in white and the
members' name engraved in script. President Grimm presented
the cards personally to Anna and J. Henri Ripstra and Ernest
Jonas. Cards were presented in absentia to George Blake,
Treasurer Emeritus of the A.N.A., Michael P. Carey, George F.
Brown and B. Max Mehl. Present at the banquet, but no longer a
member, was Marie A. Naerup, first secretary of the original
Branch No. 1.

The opportunity to mingle with fellow numismatists increased
in the 1950's when the Club decided to hold all-day events in
conjunction with the annual banquets. At first they were simply
called "annual gatherings" or "all day meetings." In 1959, this
event was given the formal name "Fall Festival." These one day
gatherings were held annually from 1953 - 59, with the '54 and
'55 events encompassing two days. Some of the locations were
the La Salle and Congress Hotels, the Swedish Engineers Society
and the Webster Hotel.

Members set up exhibits, heard educational talks and had
the opportunity to buy and sell from 20 or so Midwestern
dealers. The events concluded with the popular annual banquet.
It was at the 1955 banquet when the Club began a consistent
awards program by honoring all its past presidents with the
presentation of a silver medal. Medals of Merit were also
introduced at this time. The recipients that first year were, Clyde
L. Grimm, J. Henri Ripstra and Glenn B. Smedley.

1953 C.S.N.S. Convention

The Central States Numismatic Society returned to Chicago
in 1953 bringing together 44 dealers for its annual three day
convention. The highlight for Club members was when one of their
own, Lee F. Hewitt, was presented with an inscribed gold medal
and made the Society's Honorary President, a title he still holds
today. The Society also presented their first six Medals of Merit,
five of which were awarded to Chicago Coin Club members Earl
C. Brown, Colonel James W. Curtis, Paul Ginther, Glenn B.
Smedley and Richard S. Yeoman. Also presented with medals
were the Society's seven past presidents in attendance, three of
whom were Club members.

1956 A.N.A. Convention

General Chairman Glenn Smedley oversaw the national
convention in Chicago, August 22 - 25, 1956, at the Congress Hotel.
Memorabilia seekers should be aware that this convention was
referred to as the "CHI-ANA" convention, a phrase coined by
Lee Hewitt. The 1000 attendance mark was broken for the first
time as people from around the world came to take in the 73
exhibits and the wares of the 60-dealer bourse. Among the exhibits
was a portion of Francis Cardinal Spellman's collection, which
included papal medals and coins, U.S. proof sets, U.S. and
international gold coins, including the rare 1841 quarter eagle. The
famed Louis Eliasberg collection of U.S. coins also came to
Chicago at this time and many conventioneers made a point of
stopping by the Northern Trust Bank to view it.

The wives of the Club entertained the visiting ladies with a
series of activities, such as card parties, a talent show, a session
with a palm reader and a "never-to-be-forgotton" smorgasbord
at Kungsholm, the world renowned miniature grand opera
theater.

National Coin Week

Ever since Club member Julius Guttag founded National
Coin Week (N.C.W.) in 1924, the members of the Chicago Coin
Club have actively participated and a number have served as
national chairmen. The club archives have a number of binders
documenting N.C.W. activities. An example is the 1954 report
which shows that 62 members participated, setting up 28
exhibits, giving 21 talks, appearing on 6 radio and television shows
and receiving publicity from 11 articles in daily newspapers. For
their efforts, the members were presented with the following
awards for Class "A" clubs: first place in 1952 and '54, third
place in 1951 and sixth place in 1953. After winning the first
place award in 1952, the Club counterstruck a medal in conjunction
with the Central Illinois Numismatic Society (C.I.N.S.)
which had received first place for Class "B" clubs that same
year. These bronze counterstruck medals were the 1-3/8" First
anniversary Medals issued in 1949 by the C.I.N.S. and were
presented to each N.C.W. participant in both clubs. The 5/8"
counterstamp on the obverse reads "NATIONAL COIN WEEK
WINNERS, 1952." The reverse counterstamp of the same size
shows the vertically interlocking initials of the Chicago Coin
Club and was struck from the same reverse die used earlier in
the year for the Club's 400th meeting counterstamped peso.

Special Programs

Members had a chance to show their generosity in 1959,
when a muscular dystrophy victim in the Chicago area was robbed
of his collection of coins and stamps. Thirteen year old
Christopher Manzak was confined to a wheelchair and was
heartbroken when his collection was stolen. The story appeared
in the newspapers and the Club members came forward with
several hundred coins to help him rebuild his collection. A photo
of President Joseph Merkel presenting the young man with his
new coin collection appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times and The
Numismatist.

Throughout the 1950's many interesting programs were
given at the regular Club meetings, but the November 11, 1953
program and its approach to the presentation of numismatic
history stands out. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary
of the passage of the Subsidiary Coinage Act, Elston Bradfield
adapted a 40 minute playlet featuring eight Club members who
delivered verbatim excerpts of the actual congressional debates.
Members in the roles of congressmen were placed throughout
the audience and spoke on cue or when recognized by the House
Speaker, played by Mr. Bradfield. This unusual production was
enthusiastically received.

The 1960's

The Chicago Coin Club met at four different locations during
this decade. The first two were the Pine Room of the Congress
Hotel and the Lake View Building, across from the Art Institute.
The Palmer House was the next meeting site from 1961 through
1963. Beginning in December 1963, it moved to the Plaza Room
of the Pick Congress Hotel, where it remained for ten years.

During the 1960's came the accelerated suburban sprawl
and with it, many local coin clubs formed in the outlying areas.
This would have a long term effect on the Club. Average attendance
in 1960 and '61 was 71 per meeting. By 1964 this figure
dropped to 42 and remained in that range through 1969.

500th Meeting and Medal

The 500th meeting was held September 14, 1960 in the
regular meeting room at the Lake View Building with 140
members and guests in attendance. In addition to the short talks
given by many of the Club's long-time members, those present
enjoyed a long social hour with numismatic discussions over
coffee and cake.

To commemorate the event, a unique medal was struck in
gold, silver and bronze. Designed by member James A. Friberg,
the medal has a barrel contour and measures 72 x 52 mm. The
legend denotes "41 YEARS, 500 MEETINGS".

Gold medals were sold for $135 each by pre-order only.
Bronze and silver were $4 and $8 each by pre-order, after which
prices were $5 and $10. A motion was passed at the February
1960 meeting that the bronze medals be limited to 200 Pieces and
the silver to 100. They were so popular that Medals Chairman
M. Vernon Sheldon arranged to strike the three piece set in
anodized aluminum to simulate gold, silver and bronze. A
minimum order of fifty sets was needed, but it was never reached.
It is possible, however, that at least one set exists as the
December 14, 1960 Chatter reported that "A sample set will be
on display Wednesday evening ... The medals are remarkably
beautiful and one has to pick them up to believe that they are not
actually gold, silver or bronze."

A 500th Meeting Souvenir Booklet was also issued. The 12
page publication contained a short history of the Chicago Coin
Club and its ancestor clubs, plus listings of past officers and
charter members.

Fall Festivals

The members of the Club would sponsor or participate in
nine conventions during this decade. The first two were the 1961
and '62 Club-sponsored Fall Festivals. The 1961 Festival was
held at the Sherman Hotel over three days and was under the
chairmanship of Harry X Boosel. There were 94 bourse tables
and a three session auction by Ben's Stamp and Coin Company.
Over 2600 people attended the show which was heralded as the
biggest numismatic event in Chicago since the 1956 CHI-ANA
convention. The one day Festival in 1962 was under the direction
of Chairman Nathan Eglit at the Sheraton-Chicago and 1200
visitors took in the 40 dealer bourse and viewed the 30 exhibits.

Several pieces of medallic memorabilia were created in
connection with both Festivals. A goldine token was struck in 1961.
The dedicatory legend reads "CHICAGO COIN CLUB FALL
FESTIVAL, OCT. 13-14-15, 1961. Ten were produced in silver
and presented to members of the Festival committee.

Club member and dealer Leonard Stark issued four different
elongated cents commemorating the same event. The machine
was at his bourse table and the cents were produced and sold on
request. The archives are in possession of this die, which he
presented to the Club in 1968. In a recent interview, Mr. Stark
stated that he did not keep an official count on the number of
sets produced, but felt that it did not exceed 100.

Another goldine token was struck for the 1962 Fall Festival.
The inscription includes a list of the names of the festival
committee and "CHICAGO COIN CLUB FESTIVAL," and in the
exergue "NOVEMBER 18, 1962. "

Educational Programs

Gerda and Al Birkholz and Harry Flower were co-chairmen
of a one day numismatic forum sponsored by the Club in
October, 1964. The 125 who attended this educational event at the
Pick Congress Hotel saw 22 exhibits and heard presentations
given by the well known numismatists Richard S. Yeoman,
Russell Rulau, Admiral O.H. Dodson and Glenn Smedley. The
Numismatist reported that most people came early and stayed all
day with time to enjoy fellowship and leisurely examine the
exhibits without the rush to tour a bourse or catch an auction session.

Education-minded members had the opportunity to further
broaden their horizons from the fall of 1965 till spring of 1966,
when Roosevelt University offered a class titled "Numismatics,
The Story of Civilization." Many eminent numismatists from
across the country came and delivered lectures under the joint
sponsorship of the University and the Professional Numismatists
Guild. Club members took advantage of this unique educational
opportunity and many were in attendance at each lecture.
Among the speakers were: Gilroy Roberts, Mr. and Mrs. V.
Clain-Stefanelli, Walter Breen, Mr. and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb,
Hans Schulman, Eric P. Newman, Amon Carter, Jr., Eva Adams,
and Dr. John Davenport. The Chicago Coin Club was already
home to a number of knowledgeable numismatists and the
following Club members also served as lecturers: Kenneth
Bressett, Abe Kosoff, Richard Yeoman, Lee Hewitt, Arthur
Kagin, Philip More, Charles Ricard, Leonard Stark, Margo
Russell and Michael Powills.

These weekly Wednesday lectures coincided with the
monthly meeting and it followed immediately after at the Pick
Congress Hotel. After a time though, the Club found this difficult
and moved its January through May 1966 meetings to the second
Tuesday.

Library

A numismatic library had been maintained since the Club's
inception. For many years, it was housed in the downtown office
of one of the members. In 1960 member Philip More built a
portable cabinet on wheels. This gave the members more access to
the books as it was rolled into the room each meeting night. Mr.
More also produced and installed two large identifying medals
which were affixed to the outside of the cabinet. In January 1966
the Club donated this library to Roosevelt University with the
assurance that the University would use this as a nucleus to
build a larger numismatic library with borrowing privileges
extended to Chicago Coin Club members. One of the two identifying
medals is in the Club archives. The six inch uniface circular
cast medal shows a wreath of oak leaves with "CHICAGO COIN
CLUB LIBRARY" engraved in the center.

Conventions

During this decade, the Club hosted the 1963, '65 and '69
Central States Numismatic Society conventions and the 1967, '68
and '69 Professional Numismatists Guild (P.N.G.) shows, which
were cooperative efforts between the two groups. Attendance
was high, as was typical for Chicago shows during those years,
generally exceeding 2000 and in one case, topping 3000. All of
these conventions had a number of good exhibits but a truly
unique group of coins were displayed at the 1967 P.N.G. show at
the Palmer House. Through the efforts of Club member William
A. Pettit, the original Columbian Exposition half dollars from
1892 and 1893 were on exhibit. This was the first and only time
they were displayed together, courtesy of the Field Museum of
Natural History and the Chicago Historical Society. At that same
show the following coins were also exhibited: 1794, 1802 and
1804 U.S. dollars, a 1792 1/2 disme and the Bebee-McDermott
1913 Liberty nickel, which had just sold for $46,000.

1966 A.N.A. Diamond Jubilee Convention

From August 16-20, 1966 the Chicago Coin Club played host
to the 75th Anniversary Convention of the A.N.A., held at the
recently remodeled and modernized Pick Congress Hotel.
General Chairman Harry X Boosel and his committee registered
nearly 7000 conventioneers. Out-of-towners enjoyed the
educational forums and the 100 plus dealer bourse, in addition to a
Chicago Cubs baseball game, the Lincoln Park Zoo and a tour of
the nightclub circuit. Just as in 1956, the ladies enjoyed a return
visit to the Kungsholm Scandinavian Restaurant and Theater.
Club members were very proud and deeply moved when
member Elston G. Bradfield, editor of The Numismatist for more
than twelve years, received a spontaneous standing ovation at
the banquet as he was presented the Association's Editor
Emeritus certificate.

50th Anniversary Medal

The 50th anniversary of the Chicago Coin Club was
celebrated January 8, 1969 with a banquet at Harding's
Restaurant. The 77 in attendance had only one regret - that the
bad weather kept many away. Following a brief address, A.N.A.
Past President and Club member, Matt H. Rothert installed the
new officers. It was at this banquet that the Club began to
present the annual Cabeen Award to the top exhibitors at the
regular monthly meetings. This first presentation was made to
Glenn B. Smedley.

The 1969 Golden Anniversary Bulletin contained a complete
list of membership with current members indicated by an
asterisk. In deference to the changing times, no addresses or
collecting specialties were published. The gold-covered 32-page
booklet listed past officers and award recipients, in addition to a
short history of the Club and its ancestor organizations.

The momentous occasion was commemorated with the
issuance of a silver 2-1/4" silver and bronze medal. Designed by
Trygve A. Rovelstad of Elgin, Illinois, the medal's
obverse
incorporates the head of his proposed "I Will" statue. It shows a
modernized head of Arethusa, facing left. The designer's
monogram, name and year he completed the design, "T.A.
ROVELSTAD, 1968," are in small letters just beneath the bust. The
reverse
features the Winter Hexagon, a constellation of six
stars. At the base of the Hexagon is the brightest star in the
heavens, Sirius. Clockwise, the remaining stars are: Procyon,
Pollux, Capella (at the top), Aldebaran, and Rigel. Betelgeuse is
the star in the center. The designer's monogram appears just
above the third letter in the Latin motto. Struck by Medallic Art
Company of New York, its name appears on the lower edge of
both medals. The silver medal also has ".999 + SILVER" and on
it's upper edge is a serial number. The 182 bronze medals sold
for $5 each and the 113 struck in silver were sold for $20 to
members only.

The November 12, 1969 Chatter reported that the cancelled
obverse die was returned to the Club and was on display at the
1969 P.N.G. show. The die's location at this time is unknown.
The reverse pattern was designed with the intent of retaining the
die for possible use on future Club medallic awards and a quantity
were struck uniface in a nickel alloy and silver. What would
have been the obverse side was left blank for engraving purposes.

As the occasion was also the 600th meeting, 250 inch and a
half goldine tokens were struck by Meyer and Wenthe of
Chicago and sold for $1 each. The obverse shows the vertically
interlocking initials of the Club within a circle. The five line
legend on the reverse reads "SIX HUNDREDTH MEETING,
JANUARY 8, 1969."

Richard McP. Cabeen Award

Richard Cabeen was a knowledgeable philatelist and coin
collector who joined the Club in 1938. He was well known to
Chicagoans through his column "The Stamp Collector," which
he began writing in 1923 for the Sunday Chicago Tribune. In later
years, he also wrote "The Coin Collector." A 1904 graduate of
the University of Illinois, he spent his career with the noted
architectural firm of Holabird, Root and Burgee.

In 1968 Mr. Cabeen donated $210 to be used as the Club saw
fit. The response to this donation was so gratifying, that several
months later, he donated an additional $5000 with "no strings
attached." These donations were the basis of the Richard McP.
Cabeen Awards given annually for excellence in exhibits and he
presented the first award bearing his name. The next year a
second place was added, followed in 1975 by honorable mention.

The 1970's and '80's

The Club meeting site which had been the Pick Congress for
ten years was changed in 1973 to the Herman Crown Center of
Roosevelt University. In August of 1976, the Club took up
temporary quarters in Abbott Hall at Northwestern University's
downtown campus, and then spent several months in the Atgeld
Room at 127 North Dearborn. The Midland Hotel was the next
meeting location through the years 1977 - '80. Beginning in
January 1981, the Club moved to it's recent location at 208 South
La Salle.

Attendance during the 1970's continued to slip. Editors of
the Chatter would, for the first time, begin to editorialize on this
decline. The featured program at several meetings was an open
discussion concerning this problem, but no solution was found.
In 1970 the average attendance was 36 per meeting. In the
following years, attendance consistently fell until the lowest
point was reached in 1978, with an average of 19 per meeting.
Beginning in 1979, the Club began to re-build and attendance
climbed, averaging 28 per meeting in both 1983 and '84, and in
the first six months of 1985 averaging 30 per meeting.

1976 Bulletin

The Chicago Coin Club issued a 22 page Bulletin which was
distributed at the June, 1976 meeting. As the Club's history was
documented in the 1969 Golden Anniversary issue, this edition
included only an updated membership list, past award recipients
and officers, and the constitution.

1976 C.S.N.S. Convention

The last Central States Numismatic Society convention the
Chicago Coin Club hosted was the April 29 - May 2, 1976 gathering
at the Sheraton-Chicago Hotel. The activities of the convention,
including the 100 plus dealer bourse, were under the
chairmanship of William A. Pettit. The successful educational forum
followed a Bicentennial theme and consisted of Eric Newman,
Kenneth Bressett and Henry Christiansen. The convention
banquet honored Lee F. Hewitt, much to his surprise, in recognition
of his many years of service to the numismatic community.

Annual Banquets

The early Club banquets grew into all-day affairs and from
there, to three day coin shows. The banquet as we know it today
has been an annual event since 1967 and has been held at a
variety of locations, most recently at the Como Inn and the
Bismark Hotel. For the past eleven years, member Edward Milas
of RARCOA has generously sponsored the cocktail hour. Always
held in January, the date was changed to December in 1979.
Primarily a social evening with many spouses attending, there is
little business discussed except for the election of officers and
bestowing of annual awards.

The featured banquet programs have been many and varied.
One of the more unusual non-numismatic programs was in 1971
when Patricia Ferko of Cleveland demonstrated the techniques
of art on jeweled eggs. Using her artistic name of "Petruska,"
she charmed the members and guests with examples of her
lacquered and gold leafed eggs which were decorated with pearls
and other precious jewels.

750th Meeting Counterstamped Half Dollars

On July 8, 1981 the Club observed it's 750th meeting under
the presidency of Richard Hartzog. To commemmorate the
event, uncirculated 1981-D and circulated 1919 half dollars were
counterstruck on the reverse side. The design by Dr. Saul B.
Needleman shows select buildings from the City's skyline with
Buckingham Fountain in the foreground. Adam J. Cool of
Brigantine, New Jersey counterstruck 100 of the Kennedy and 68
of the Walking Liberty half dollars which sold for $3.00 and
$9.00, respectively.

800th Meeting Medal

During the presidency of Dr. Saul B. Needleman, the
Chicago Coin Club will celebrate its 800th meeting with a
banquet at the Midland Hotel. To mark this milestone occasion, this
book that you are reading has been published and a medal has
also been issued. Six unsigned drawings were submitted at the
December 1984 annual banquet and the members chose the
obverse and reverse designs submitted by Carl F. Wolf.

The obverse is dominated by the portrait of Janus, the
ancient Roman god of beginnings. His bearded and laureled double
head looks to both the past and the future, symbolizing the Club
as it looks to its past heritage with pride, while maintaining a
focus upon the future. Around the top appears "CHICAGO
COIN CLUB." A quotation from Shakespeare's play "The
Tempest," is around the bottom, "WHAT'S PAST IS
PROLOGUE," expressing the Club's continuity with the past.

The reverse design illustrates the Club's emphasis on education
with the primary focus directed to three books. One is open
and rests atop two others. Across the left half of the open book is
the Club's Latin motto "DOCENDO DISCIMUS." From the top
left and extending across the open book is a branch from the
Tree of Knowledge. The fruit which it bears represents the
benefits received through numismatic education. To the right,
the Path of Knowlege leads from the books to a rising sun,
symbolizing enlightenment through education. To the left is a
small skyline which pays tribute to the City of Chicago. Around
the top appears "800TH MEETING," and around the bottom
"SEPTEMBER 14, 1985."

This 2" medal is produced of pure copper, plated with
bronze or silver and given an antique finish and was manufactured
by Pressed Metal Products, Ltd. of Vancouver, British
Columbia. The exact quantity which will be issued is unknown at
this time. A limited number of pieces in silver and gold will be
made available to Chicago Coin Club members by
presubscription only.

WHAT'S PAST IS PROLOGUE.

Chicago Coin Club

Presidents

Charles N. Hinckley

1919

Joseph E. Merkel

1959

Alden Scott Boyer

1919-27

Glenn B. Smedley

1960

Dr. Alexander M. Rackus

1928

Hugh Mc. Knight

1961-62

R. Edward Davis

1929-32

Michael M. Dolnick

1963-64

J. Henri Ripstra

1933-36

Philip J. More

1965-66

William G. Rayson

1937-38

James L. Grebinger

1967-68

Robert L. McBrien

1939-40

James J. Babka

1969-70

Edmund E. Lamb

1941-42

Lee F. Hewitt

1971

Paul Pennington

1943-44

James R. Budd

1972

Earl F. Barger

1945-46

William A. Pettit

1973-74

Ignatius T. Kopicki

1947-48

Charles J. Ryant

1975-76

Glenn R. Ostrander

1949-50

Gerda H. Birkholz

1977-78

Harry X Boosel

1951-52

Dr. Saul B. Needleman

1979

Clyde L. Grimm

1953-54

Richard Hartzog

1979-82

Elston G. Bradfield

1955-56

Barbara Goldfreed

1983

Theodore F. Pokorney

1957-58

Dr. Saul B. Needleman

1983-

Secretaries

R. Edward Davis

1919-27

Joseph E. Merkel

1951

Elmer J. Lawless

1928-30

Earl L. Salisbury

1952

Ignatius T. Kopicki

1931

Theodore H. Rich

1953-54

Michael A. Powills

1932

Michael M. Dolnick

1955-56

R. Edward Davis

1933-36

J. Thomas Nolan

1957-58

M. Vernon Sheldon

1937-38

Judy Sabel

1959-60

Ignatius T. Kopicki

1939-41

Ignatius T. Kopicki

1961

Clifford P. Lindall

1942-43

Marjorie Baker

1962-74

Glenn R. Ostrander

1944-46

Leah Klein

1974-79

Earl C. Brown

1947-49

Carl F. Wolf

1979-84

Glenn B. Smedley

1950

William A. Baker

1985-

Chatter Editors

James A. Friberg

David Schecter

Glenn R. Ostrander

Gerda H. Birkholz

Martin Vink

Charles J. Ryant

Paul W. Igelman

Larry Natta

Herbert J. Shaner, Jr.

Don Valenziano

Glenn B. Smedley

Medal of Merit Recipients

Clyde L. Grimm

1955

Ignatius T. Kopicki

1956

J. Henri Ripstra

1955

M. Vernon Sheldon

1956

Glenn B. Smedley

1955

Lee F. Hewitt

1957

Earl C. Brown

1956

Richard S. Yeoman

1957

Elston G. Bradfield

1958

Arlie R. Slabaugh

1966

Joseph Unseitig

1958

Thomas F. Shugrue

1967

Ernest Jonas

1959

Gerda H. Birkholz

1968

Herbert J. Shaner

1959

Clifford P. Lindall

1969

Judy Sabel

1960

Chester Poderski

1970

August F. Hausske

1960

James L. Grebinger

1971

Philip J. More

1960

Jules L. Marshfield

1972

Michael M. Dolnick

1961

Leah Klein

1975

Harry X Boosel

1962

Frank Zaylick

1976

Harold R. Klein

1963

William A. Pettit

1977

William Hoppe

1964

Charles J. Ryant

1977

Marjorie Baker

1965

Carl F. Wolf

1981

Literary Award Recipients

James W. Curtis

1956

Gerda H. Birkholz

1966

Glenn B. Smedley

1958

William A. Pettit

1967

Nathan N. Eglit

1959

James Plath

1969

Harry Flower

1960

William A. Pettit

1970

Arlie R. Slabaugh

1961

Gerda H. Birkholz

1971

Michael M. Dolnick

1962

Harry X Boosel

1972

Ignatius T. Kopicki

1963

Adalbert R. Birkholz

1974

Gerda H. Birkholz

1964

Dr. Saul B. Needleman

1977

Arlie R. Slabaugh

1965

Dr. Saul B. Needleman

1982

Richard McP. Cabeen Award Recipients

Silver

Bronze

Honorable Mention

1968

Glenn B. Smedley

1969

William A. Pettit

Gerda H. Birkholz

1970

William A. Pettit

Gerda H. Birkholz

1971

Gerda H. Birkholz

Harry X Boosel

1972

Gerda H. Birkholz

Harry X Boosel

1973

Gerda H. Birkholz

David Schecter

1974

Gerda H. Birkholz

Harry X Boosel

1975

Harry X Boosel

Gerda H. Birkholz

Richard Hartzog

1976

Gerda H. Birkholz

Richard Hartzog

Harry X Boosel

1977

Gerda H. Birkholz

Richard Hartzog

Dr. Saul B. Needleman

1978

Gerda H. Birkholz

Richard Hartzog

Dr. Saul B. Needleman

1979

Richard Hartzog

Gerda H. Birkholz

Gregory J. Gaskill

1980

Richard Hartzog

Harry X Boosel

Chester Poderski

Harry Flower

Carl F. Wolf

1981

Barbara Goldfreed

Richard Hartzog

Carl F. Wolf

1982

Carl F. Wolf

Harry Flower

Gerard Anaszewicz

George Lill III

Richard Hartzog

Dr. Saul B. Needleman

Chester Poderski

1983

Gerard Anaszewicz

George Lill III

Harry X Boosel

Harry Flower

Richard Hartzog

Dr. Saul B. Needleman

Carl F. Wolf

1984

Robert D. Leonard, Jr.

George Lill III

Gerard Anaszewicz

Harry Flower

Thomas Michell

Dr. Saul B. Needleman

David E. Simpson

Carl F. Wolf

Chicago Coin Club and American Numismatic Association

It would be impossible to list all the achievements of Club
members within the A.N.A. and the names that follow should
not be viewed as the only members who have made notable
contributions. In addition to being A.N.A.'s oldest member club, the
Chicago Coin Club has provided more officers, has had more
recipients of A.N.A. awards and has hosted more national
conventions (seven) than any other coin club.

Presidents

William G. Jerrems

1891

Nelson T. Thorson

1933-34

Dr. J. M. Henderson

1909-10

J. Henri Ripstra

1937-38

Judson Brenner

1911-12

Loyd B. Gettys

1947-48

H.O. Granberg

1915-16

M. Vernon Sheldon

1949-50

Moritz Wormser

1921-25

Leonel C. Panosh

1955-56

Charles Markus

1927-29

Oscar H. Dodson

1957-60

Alden Scott Boyer

1932

Matt H. Rothert

1965-66

General Secretaries

Alden Scott Boyer

1921

M. Vernon Sheldon

1938-43

Harry T. Wilson

1923-37

Lewis M. Reagan

1944-61

Treasurers
R. Edward Davis

1921

Harold R. Klein

1949-62
George H. Blake

1922-48

Board Chairman

Board Chairman (Office discontinued in 1937)

William F. Dunham

1909

Moritz Wormser

1919-20

H.O. Granberg

1910-14

Charles Markus

1926

Judson Brenner

1915

Nelson T. Thorson

1929-32

Governors

George H. Blake

Loyd B. Gettys

J. Henri Ripstra

Harry X Boosel

H.O. Granberg

Matt H. Rothert

Alden Scott Boyer

Julius Guttag

C.H. Ryan

Judson Brenner

Dr. J.M. Henderson

M. Vernon Sheldon

Henry Chapman

Arthur M. Kagin

Glenn B. Smedley

James W. Curtis

Harold R. Klein

H.A. Sternberg

Oscar H. Dodson

Theophile E. Leon

Nelson T. Thorson

William F. Dunham

Charles Markus

Moritz Wormser

Edward Fogler

B. Max Mehl

Richard S. Yeoman

Leonel C. Panosh

Editors of The Numismatist

Lee F. Hewitt

1942-43

Elston G. Bradfield

1954-66

Burton H. Saxton

1943-44

Glenn B. Smedley

1966-67

National Coin Week Chairman

Julius Guttag

1924

Harry X Boosel

1950

Moritz Wormser

1925

James W. Curtis

1951

Lewis M. Reagan

1943-44

Ignatius T. Kopicki

1955

Richard S. Yeoman

1945

Lois Otis 1965-66

Abe Kosoff

1949

The Farran Zerbe Award

Presented to those "considered to have rendered the
Association distinguished service and to be worthy of the
highest honor it can bestow."

M. Vernon Sheldon

1951

Elston G. Bradfield

1963

Lewis M. Reagan

1954

Leonel C. Panosh

1965

Richard S. Yeoman

1956

Oscar H. Dodson

1968

Burton H. Saxton

1958

Abe Kosoff

1972

Louis S. Werner

1959

Matt H. Rothert

1973

Glenn B. Smedley

1960

Margo Russell

1975

Lee F. Hewitt

1962

Chester L. Krause

1977

The A.N.A. Hall of Fame

"Persons whose contributions to the field of numismatics
have been of the highest excellence and most outstanding."
Year inducted:

George H. Bake

1970

J. Henri Ripstra

1978

Henry Chapman

1970

Richard S. Yeoman

1978

Lewis M. Reagan

1970

Abe Kosoff

1982

Moritz Wormser

1970

Glenn B. Smedley

1982

Burton H. Saxton

1972

Elston G. Bradfield

1982

B. Max Mehl

1974

Louis S. Werner

1982

Frederick Boyd

1978

Leonel C. Panosh

1984

Lee F. Hewitt

1978

Medal of Merit

Reserved for "those who have shown outstanding devotion
to numismatics, the organization and its goals."